Jhanvasa car oorvalam ~ தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது தள்ளி விடுங்க

 

When was your marriage !!  1970s/ 80s  or before !!

did you enjoy  'mappillai azhaippu' in Jhanvasa car ?!?!

1.     Q no. 1  is above

2.     Do you remember this song !!

3.     Watched English movie – Yours, Mine and Ours !!!

 

தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது தள்ளி விடுங்க

எண்ணெய்  வெல ஏறிப்போச்சு மாட்ட பூட்டுங்க

கோபாலா பூபாலா வேலப்பா வாடாப்பா

போற எடம் எங்கப்பா போனப்புறம் சொல்றேன்ப்பா

ஆள எண்ணிப்பாரப்பா ...ஆறு புள்ளதானப்பா

அட சரபோஜி மஹராஜா விளையாட்டுப் பருவத்தில்

இதிலேதான் போனாங்களாம்

Something that was too common a few decades ago ! most sought after … not in vogue now … today saw this bedecked, topless car bringing back memories of Chevrolet, Morris Minor, Plymouth cars that were in business !!!  those were the days when the travel was one of pride !!! 

The day before marriage (remember there was no reception or if there was one, it was on the day of marriage !) – bride groom and family (both sides) would visit the Temple, offer prayers and then the groom would be taken on a special ride known as ‘Jhanvasam’ in a open car.  Relatives would happily push their little kids inside leaving the space cramped … .. .. and in some development, the bride would be taken in another car, on the opposite side, somewhere along the procession, the cars would stop – allowing each to have a glimpse !!!!!!!

This song ‘Poomazhai thoovi vasanthangal vaaztha – oorvalam nadakinrathu’ – was a hit  - MGR would play instrument and sing this in ‘Ninaithathai Mudippavan’ (the man who concludes what he thinks) had MG Ramachandran in dual roles – this released in 1970s was a remake of blockbuster Hindi Film ‘Sachaa Jhutha’ starring Rajesh Khanna and Vinod Khanna. Years later, came ‘Mazhalai pattalam’ – a nice movie of Mouli came, it was directed by Lakshmi ….it was a story of persons with children marrying and the problems of  bringing up so many children… a car played a significant role in that film…….

 

All that about ‘Jhanvasam’ ……. Popular ritualistic occurrence in South Indian (or is that restricted to Tamilians only !) - equivalent of a North Indian Baraat. Understand that in good olden days, marriage alliance would often outside village – bridegroom would be taken around in a chariot in procession from the place of his stay to the marriage hall………… by some accounts, it was an introduction of groom to the elders of the village and also by parading, people could voice their opinion on the groom … which many a times lead to trouble too… 

Even in later days where the families knew each other; love-marriages; arranged marriages between known people and more – in the city atmosphere too, this blissfully continued. While it is to be a horse-ride in Northern parts of India – it slowly became an open car over here…. Bridegroom wearing a suit or Safari dress, sitting in the open car along with many children became regular sight…. then started the practice of bringing the bride in another car in the opposite direction, allowing her to have a vision of that wonderful jhanvasam…… many a mapillais (grooms) who had their Suits stitched for that occasion, would find no next chance to wear that ! 

Slowly it faded from spectacular to bizarre and ridiculed ….there were some who owned ‘jhanvasa cars’ old Morris, Plymouth and more – open hooded – in striking colours, hired for the jhanvasam function alone.  There would be host of relatives (especially women draped in pattu saris wearing gold jewellery of their choice) accompanying that slow moving jhanvasa car.  

You no longer see those Chevy Impala convertibles decked with flowers and cute children sitting literally on the lap of groom …  people had time and enjoyed every little chance being happy … now a days, everyone seems to be in a hurry – and makes a flying visit even for the marriage of close relatives.  Gone are those days, when the groom or people from his side made big issues at the time of marriage – the host of issues included the car not arriving in time, stopping, people having to push and in some few cases, the car being a closed one and the groom not able to see the whole outside or rather not to be seen by everyone else on Street. 

Sri Vaidvudai Amman Stores, next to Sri Raghavendra Mutt in Thulasinga Perumal Kovil Street, Triplicane, Chennai 600 005 is a famous shop known for quality butter and ghee.  This shop has been there for more than 70 years and regular customers make a beeline for buying ghee and butter, especially for Pooja and for submitting to God. 

Remember that they provided ‘janvasa car’ services – and their Morris minor car acted in the Mazhalai pattalam movie and in a few others as well. Nostalgic for those who have bought ghee from this shop and for others who had the privilege of jhanvasam – the song at the start - தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது  is from  Mazhalai Pattalam, think that car was owned by the Ghee store of Triplicane. 

 

The movie Mazhalai Pattalam (lit. Army of children) was a directorial debut for actress Lakshmi – starring Vishnuvardhan, Sumithra, dialogues by Visu – music of MS Viswanathan hit the screens in 1980; film simultaneously filmed in Kannada as Makkala Sainya & remade in Telugu as Ramadandu.   

The movie was based on ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’    American family comedy drama film directed by Melville Shavelson, starring Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda and Van Johnson that hit the screens in 1968.  

Frank Beardsley is a Navy Chief Warrant Officer, recently detached from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and assigned as project officer for the Fresnel lens glide-slope indicator, or "meatball", that would eventually become standard equipment on all carriers. Helen North is a civilian nurse working in the dispensary at NAS Alameda, the California U.S. Navy base to which Frank is assigned.  Frank meets Helen, first by chance in the commissary on the base and again when Frank brings his distraught teenage daughter for treatment at the dispensary, where Helen informs him that the young lady is simply growing up in a crowded house which lacks a mother's guidance. They immediately hit it off and go on a date, all the while shying away from admitting their respective secrets: Frank has ten children and Helen has eight, from previous marriages ended by their spouses' deaths.

 
Interesting !  but do answer the Q 1 please !!
 
 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
24.6.2026

 

Sun rise at Bay of Bengal ~ morning thoughts !!

 

Every day as we get up, mind thinks of day’s work, the methodology, what is to be done, what is to be avoided  ……. (continued in last para)

 

"Every morning  One resolution, every evening better solution" is a great mindset for daily continuous improvement. It perfectly captures an agile approach to life: set your intention at the start of the day and reflect or iterate on how to improve by the time night falls. 

.. .. ..and … after such thoughts, get out of bed, while away the day, spend time in social media and hit the bed hoping a good sleep and another tomorrow ! 

Life of social media Tigers !!

 

lights dispel darkness, drives away ignorance !!!!

 

Lights dispel darkness is an adage that inspires people, yet !!  - not this way !!  on the roads of Metropolis,  we often see people acting unmindful of harm that may befall on other road users and themselves as well ! 

In science, Light  is electromagnetic radiation that the human eye can detect, and it can also be described as waves or as particles called photons. Visible light is only one part of the broader electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, radio waves, and more. 

Darkness is not a thing on its own in physics; it is the absence or near-absence of visible light. That is why a room feels dark when no light is reaching your eyes, even though other forms of radiation may still be present.  

We see objects when light from a source, or light reflected from an object, enters our eyes and is processed by the brain. If there is no visible light, the visual system has nothing to detect, so the scene appears dark.  

Light is essential for vision, photosynthesis, and biological rhythms in living things. Darkness also matters biologically, because many organisms use it for rest, timing, and survival.  A simple way to put it: light is incoming visible electromagnetic energy, and darkness is what we experience when that light is missing. 

Provide knowledge to people to dispel the darkness of ignorance is the spiritual saying !  lighting of lamp (kuthuvilakku) is symbolic in every function, welcoming goodness and warding off evil. 

 

Here the motor cycle rider is carrying two big sized kuthu vilakku – which is disturbing !  “Light the lamp within and around you; darkness cannot remain where light is kept burning”.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.6.2026

illustrious sons of famous writer Sandilyan

'கடல் புறா' ~ illustrious sons of famous writer Sandilyan

 

இரவின் ஆரம்பத்தில், சந்திர ஒளி லேசாகப் பரவியிருந்த மந்தமான வெளிச்சத்தில், பெரும் பந்தங்களை இடது கையில் பற்றியும், வாளை வலது கையில் உயர ஏந்தியும், பயங்கரமான, பலவிதக் கூச்சல்களைப் போட்டுக்கொண்டும் சூறாவளி போல் வந்து கொண்டிருந்த களப்பிரர் கூட்டத்தைக் கண்டதும், அதை எதிர்க்க காஞ்சியின் காலாட்படையையும் புரவிப் படையையும் சுவர் போல இணைந்து நிற்க வைத்தான் குமாரன்.  

முதலில் காலாட்படைத் தலைவனை அழைத்து, “இது நகரமக்கள் சமீபத்தில் ஏற்படுத்திய படை. அதிக போர் அனுபவமில்லாதது. எதிரி வந்ததும் இவர்கள் தங்கள் வேல்களை எதிரிப்படையின் புரவியின் மீதும், புரவி வீரர்கள் மீதும் குறிபார்த்து ஒரேசமயத்தில் எறிந்துவிட்டுப் பின்வாங்கி விடட்டும். அவர்கள் காட்டுப் பகுதியை நோக்கிப் பின்வாங்கும் சமயத்தில் புரவிப்படை யுடன் முதலில் நான் மோதுவேன். பிறகு அதற்குள் ஊடுருவி முன்னேறுவேன். அதே சமயத்தில் பின்வாங்கிய உனது காலாட்படை முன்னேறி, பக்கவாட்டில் எதிரிகள் சிதறி ஓடுவதைத் தடுக்கட்டும். மீதியை நான் பார்த்துக் கொள்கிறேன்” என்று எச்சரித்து அனுப்பினான்.   களப்பிரர் சூறாவளி போல வந்தவர்கள், பத்தடிதூரத்துக்கு வந்ததும் எதிரிலே சுவர் போல் நின்ற காஞ்சி படையுடன் மோத வேண்டியதாயிற்று. அவர்கள் வாளைச் சுழற்றுவதற்கு முன்பாகவே அவர்களை நோக்கி காலாட் படையின் வேல்கள் பறந்தன. அவற்றால் தாக்குண்ட புரவிகள் அலறின. வேல்களுக்கு வீரர்கள் சிலரும் இலக்காகிப் புரவிகளிலிருந்து சரிந்தனர்.   

 

முதலாம் குலோத்துங்க சோழன் (கி.பி. 1070–1122) மற்றும் அவருடைய தளபதியான கருணாகரத் தொண்டைமான் காலக் கட்டத்தில் நடப்பதாக அமைந்த ஒரு மிக நல்ல புதினம். சோழர்களின் கடற்படை, தென் கிழக்கு ஆசிய நாடான ஸ்ரீவிஜயம் (இன்றைய இந்தோனேசியா/மலேசியா பகுதிகள்) மற்றும் கடாரம் மீது தொடுத்த போர்களை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டது.  அக்காலத்து சோழர்களின் கப்பல் கட்டும் முறை, திசையறி கருவிகள், கடல் நீரோட்டங்கள் பற்றிய துல்லியமான வர்ணனைகள் கொண்ட நாவல் கடல்புறா . 

'கடல் புறா' என்ற அதிநவீன போர் அலகுகள் கொண்ட சோழர் காலத்துக் கப்பல்!!   சோழப் பேரரசின் கடற்படை வலிமையையும், அவர்களின் கடல் கடந்த வெற்றிகளையும் மையமாகக் கொண்டு இக்கதை எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Kadal Pura  is among the evergreen Novels in Tamil,  was initially written and serialised   in the popular Tamil magazine Kumudam before being compiled & published  as a complete set on March 1, 1967.   

Its author  -  Sandilyan (Sri Bashyam Iyengar 1910-1987)  was a celebrated pioneer of Tamil historical romance and adventure novels. Known for his vivid, gripping descriptions of ancient empires, wars, and politics—predominantly set during the Chola and Pandya eras—he was a legendary figure in Tamil literature.   His two sons were Professors.  Mr B Sadagopan taught me History & Political Science in early 1980s in DG Vaishnav College while Mr Krishnan was in Physics and rose to become Principal too.  

Chandilyan participated in   the freedom movement; worked as a  journalist and a screenwriter. He officially began writing his sweeping sagas in the 1950s. Understand that Sandilyan was connected with movies too initially.  During his time at the Hindustan Times he became friends with B N Reddy of Vijaya Studios and V. Nagayya.  He co-wrote the screenplays of films like Swarga Seema (1945) and En Veedu (1953). He later wrote about his film world experiences in his book Cinema Valarndha Kadhai (1985). Later he also produced a documentary titled "Birth of a Newspaper"; but writing novels was his forte.  His historical epics were widely published in popular Tamil weeklies and include:  Yavana Rani, Kadal Pura, Kanni maadam,  Mannan magal and more.  Though he passed away in Sept 1987, Sandilyan's literary impact remains strong, as he is still widely read by fans of historical fiction. 

Understand that Sandilyan’s father - Sri U.Ve.Srirangam Satagopa chariar was a famous Upanyasakar    

I had recently shared (repost) of  pic taken in  June  2016 – happy posing with respected Prof. B. Satagopan, Retd. Head of Dept. History & Politics, DG Vaishnav College,  son of legendary writer of historic novels late Shri Chandilyan .. taken at the time of visit of our Acharyar - Sri U Ve Koil Kanthadai Chandamarutham Singarachaar Swami at Thiruvallikkeni.  Mr Sadagopan is no more, passed away in July 2020. 

20^th June 2026 provided me another opportunity to be with Sandilyan’s other illustrious son, a man who taught a tough subject with ease making students understand the love the subject.

In Academics -  Physics is considered fundamental because it uncovers the basic laws governing matter, energy, space, and time—the foundation upon which all other sciences build. It is seen as elite because  Physics requires "certain intellectual skills that the majority of [people] do not possess"—advanced mathematical reasoning, logical abstraction, and experimental design. The subject is "tough and nobody truly grasps everything"; courses like General Relativity are considered "for crazy people" due to their mathematical complexity

 

The man in this picture is Dr B. Krishnan, 77 years young now.  As I studied Economics (History / Political Science) taught by Mr B Sadagopan, Dr B Krishnan was the pillar of Physics Dept of DG Vaishnav College, he became the HoD of Physics Department and later became the Principal too, serving the great Educational institution for five years+ as Principal. He is recognized as one of the most prominent educators of Physics.  

… .. and with him is his spouse Mrs Bhooma Krishnan,  Economics graduate from Bombay university with PG in Vaishnavism, Divyaprabandham and Sanskrit, well versed in Vaishnava sampradhayam, who worked and retired from Life Insurance Corporation of India as Regional Manager IT.   Here is a picture of the couple taken at the function held at Triplicane on the occasion of visit of our Acharyar - Sri U Ve Kovil Kanthadai Chandamarutham   (Doddayachar) Yoga Nrusimha  Swami and a photo of Dr Krishnan receiving a book from our Acaryan.

 

Respects – S Sampathkumar / 22.6.2026

 

PS : those 2 paras at the start are from Sandilyan’s Historic novel – “Pallava Peedam” 

கதைக்களம் மற்றும் வரலாறு:

·         காலம்: கி.பி. 250 முதல் 300 வரையிலான ஆதிபல்லவர்களின் வரலாற்றை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டு இக்கதை புனையப்பட்டுள்ளது.

·         கதை மாந்தர்கள்: பல்லவபுரி (பல்லாரி) மன்னன் பப்பதேவன் குமாரனான 'சிவஸ்கந்தவர்மன்' (யுவமகாராஜா) மற்றும் களப்பிரர்களின் படையெடுப்பிலிருந்து காஞ்சிபுரத்தைக் காப்பாற்றிய நிகழ்வுகளை மையமாகக் கொண்டது.

·         நாவலின் சிறப்பம்சங்கள்:

·         தமிழ்நாட்டில் தலைகாட்டத் தொடங்கிய களப்பிரர்களின் கொடூரமான தாக்குதல்களையும், அதை முறியடிக்க பல்லவ மன்னர்கள் மேற்கொண்ட வீரதீர செயல்களையும் விவரிக்கிறது.

·         சாவி பத்திரிகையில் தொடர்கதையாக வெளிவந்தபோது தமிழ் மக்களிடையே பெரும் வரவேற்பைப் பெற்றது